Aretha Franklin To Join President Obama At Labor Day Event

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DETROIT (WWJ) – President Barack Obama and the Queen of Soul will share a stage in Detroit this Labor Day.

President Obama will speak and Aretha Franklin will sing following the Labor Day Parade on Monday. The Mosaic Youth Theatre will also perform.

The event is free and open to the public and will be held the General Motors parking lot, at Atwater and Rivard, next to the Renaissance Center.

“The great addition is that we’re having President Obama there, and we are very pleased and honored to do that,” said Saundra Williams, President of the Metropolitan AFL-CIO.

“He’s done a lot for Michigan. For all of those folks that, you know, don’t have jobs … it’s just a little inspiration and encouragement for them to come out and join with us,” she said.

“We want the community and everyone to come out. There will be some ticketed seats, and we will be giving out tickets to both the community and to our labor unions, but anybody, you don’t have to have a ticket it is an open event,” Williams said.

Williams said the public should be prepared for airport-like security, including metal detectors.

The last time Obama made an appearance at the parade was in 2008, just a few months before he was elected.

The September 5th parade “steps off” at 9:30 in the morning along Woodward and Michigan Avenues. The parade traditionally attracts thousands of labor union members and their families.

This will be Obama’s second trip to Michigan in a month. Obama visited a battery plant in Holland, Mich., on Aug. 11. Obama has touted his administration’s work to rescue General Motors and Chrysler.

For the latest on the President’s Labor Day visit, stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 and CBSDetroit.com.